Down 20 late, Duke rallies to beat N.C. State

Men’s basketball: Seth Curry scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half, and No. 5 Duke rallied from 20 points down with 11:33 to play and beat North Carolina State 78-73 on Thursday night in Durham, N.C.

Freshman Austin Rivers added 16 points for the Blue Devils. They used late rallies of 13-0 and 20-3 to erase that huge deficit.

Lorenzo Brown scored 19 points to lead the Wolfpack, who have lost 14 straight at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Spartans pummel Badgers: Draymond Green had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Keith Appling scored 20 points and No. 7 Michigan State beat No. 15 Wisconsin 69-55 in East Lansing, Mich.

• Tourney games could cost online: Some fans will no longer be able to watch every NCAA tournament game online for free.

March Madness games aired on CBS will still be free through the network’s website. Most, but not all, viewers who get TBS, TNT and truTV on their cable or satellite systems will be able to watch games aired on those channels online at no cost. Fans can also pay $3.99 to see every game on online, mobile and tablet platforms.

Bulls blow big lead, but beat Celtics

NBA: Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng each scored 23 points, and the Chicago Bulls escaped with an 89-80 victory over the Boston Celtics in Chicago after blowing a 16-point lead.

Reigning MVP Derrick Rose missed his fourth straight game because of lower back pain.

Kevin Garnett scored 18 points to lead the Celtics.

• James says he could return to Cavs: LeBron James says he wouldn’t rule out playing again for the Cavaliers.

Back in the city where he began his NBA career, Miami’s All-Star forward said he could see himself playing in Cleveland, and if he decided to return he hopes “the fans would accept me.” James played seven seasons for the Cavs before leaving as a free agent in July 2010.

• Lin added to Rising Stars Challenge: Jeremy Lin will play in the Rising Stars Challenge after all.

The Knicks point guard was added Thursday to the roster of players for the Feb. 24 game, just before Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley began drafting for their teams.

Lin’s breakout came after the pool of 18 players was selected.

• Fans will determine dunk winner: The NBA is leaving it up to the fans to determine the winner of the All-Star slam dunk contest.

The league announced there no longer will be judges in the event, which also will be reduced to one round. Each contestant will execute three dunks. Fans will determine the champion by voting on NBA.com, Twitter or through text messaging.

• Varejao out a month: Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao will need at least one month to recover from a broken wrist he suffered Feb. 10.

Blackhawks snap nine-game skid

NHL: Jonathan Toews scored on a penalty shot to start Chicago’s four-goal first period against New York backup Martin Biron, and the Blackhawks emphatically snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Rangers in New York.

• St. Louis, Stamkos spark Bolts: Martin St. Louis scored his second goal of the game 4:27 into overtime, Steven Stamkos had two goals and two assists in his 300th NHL game, and the Lightning beat the Sharks 6-5 in Tampa, Fla.

Alabama surprises No. 7 Kentucky

Women’s basketball: Jasmine Robinson scored 17 points and Alabama held off a big rally for a 77-75 victory over No. 7 Kentucky in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the Crimson Tide’s first win against a ranked team in more than nine years.

A’dia Mathies kept this one in question with 26 points for the Wildcats.

• Huskers drop third straight: Dannielle Diamant had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead Northwestern to a 63-51 upset of No. 16 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers lost for the third time in a row.

New commish wants Sun Belt to expand

Miscellany: Incoming Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson wants his new league to expand.

Benson, the longtime Western Athletic Conference commissioner, was introduced as the Sun Belt’s next leader Thursday.

Benson, 60, will replace Wright Water, who is retiring after 12 years. He will begin working with the Sun Belt on April 1 and take over as commissioner in July.

The Sun Belt has 10 football members and Benson said he thinks there is “an advantage to getting to at least 12.”

• Mickelson takes early lead: Phil Mickelson chipped in from 35 feet on the 18th hole at Riviera in Los Angeles for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead in the opening round of the Northern Trust Open.

J.B. Holmes, in his fourth tournament since returning from brain surgery, shot 67.